romance with loneliness
by Rogue Ronin
Summary: This was a romance Mia and Sage request fic for charley lover.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don t own the Ronin Warriors. This was a request romance fic between Sage and Mia for Charley Lover. Thank you Firestorm for being my beta on this fic.  
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Romance With Loneliness By: Rogue Ronin

The fire had been lit. Mia s eyes became entranced by the flames as they danced closer to her tear-stained face. Her eyes cast lower into the fire as she drooped her head further down. She slowly reached inside of her pocket and drew out a picture.

Without even a second thought, Mia reached over the barrel above the fire, the heat weakened her hold on the picture at the same time it erupted into flames. She screamed when the heat burned her hand, and yanked it back towards her body.

Mia turned away from the barrel and started towards the manor, entering through the back in order to have made sure no one saw her. She walked up the back stairs, and slumped into her bedroom. Locking the door, she walked over to the dresser and picked up the first aide kit; she took it to her bathroom and tended to her burnt hand. The scorching affliction upon her hand seized her like frozen knives, incinerating through her skin, awakening her physical and mental anguish she carried.

Mia tended to the burn by placing burn cream on the scorched skin. She seethed from the contact of the cream. Reaching for the wrapping with her good hand, she slowly encased the wound. Lowering herself to the floor, she leaned back against the tub. Her arms wrapped around her torso and in the end, hugged herself tight. Her eyes brimmed as her tears threatened to fall once again, her body shaking from the grief she held in her heart.

Mia s eyes slowly closed as she embraced the darkness creeping inside her. She wondered if the fight for his love was worth all of this pain. She blocked out everyone and everything she knew as she encased herself within her own prison of pain and suffering. How could he just forget about everything she has done for not only him but the others as well during their battles with Tulpa? She offered them her home, and comfort from their nightmares, and now he totally dismissed her, and everything she sacrificed for some other girl? How dare he be so heartless, so cold?

Mia was so enclosed within herself that she didn't hear him ask as he knocked on her bedroom door. When he knocked a second time and called her name, a sense of urgency resonated in his voice as he asked why she wouldn't answer him. Everything to her now seemed nothing more than an illusion to what she truly wanted, real happiness in her life.

Placing her feet under her body, Mia forced herself to stand and stared herself in the mirror. Closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths she steadied herself and walked out of her bathroom to her bedroom door. She unlocked it and walked past him in the hall and down the stairs to the main floor.

The squeaking of the stairs announced Mia s descent, Nari glanced over to her rival s direction. Her eyes morphed from chocolate brown to emerald green and back to their normal color. She had picked up on Mia s bandaged hand, internally she smirked from the satisfaction of the wound.

Acknowledging a familiar hand upon her shoulder, for which Nari s attention to the one who stood beside her. She focused her attention towards him and gave a small smile. "I m sorry Sage, did you say something?"

The green Ronin pulled his hand aside and interlaced his hand with hers. With his other hand, Sage brushed back his bangs and smiled back in his usual flirtatious manner. "I was asking you if you wanted to go on a balloon ride for our next date. You and me, alone looking down on the world."

A warm sensation encased her from head to toe, as a tinge of red graced her cheeks. Nari raised her free hand to her face and brushed a few loose strands of hair from her eyes as she gave a small nod. "Yes, but on one condition."

Sage gazed deep into her eyes as he tried to see where she was coming from on this. All the while they ve been dating, she never gave him a condition, so, why was now any different? "Nari..."

Alternating back to her emerald green eyes, she burrowed into his mind and implanted her power even further. She concentrated on his visible eye as it flickered green and back to violet. "I want you to ask Mia to drive us there, and to pick us up when we are done."

He leaned forward and gave her a small kiss on her cheek, and then unlaced his hand from hers. Sage walked into the kitchen where Mia was cooking and asked his request. When he wasn t able to get an answer from her, he tried again.

Nari had become aware her rage as it consume her while she focused on them in the kitchen. Her hands clenched as they trembled at her sides. Her eyes phased into a darker emerald shade, and attempted to gain control over Mia. Just as she was about to try, the temperature in both rooms dropped and another presence made itself known. 'No, it can t be. Not him! Anyone else other than that little...'

The temperature went back to normal, and Nari calmed once the other spirit left. She snapped out of her trance when she felt Sage s arm intertwined with hers. Focusing her attention fully upon him, she leaned in closer to him and gazed into his eye. She read his thoughts and knew his answer.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Mia s hands curled tightly around the steering wheel of her jeep, at the same time, she glanced between the front door and her watch. Her annoyance banging in her head like a bass drum, threatening to pound in an on coming headache. She stared hard at the couple as they walked out the door, her eyes narrowed into slits. The muscles in her jaws tightened. Sage did it again, he somehow managed to charm her into taking the two of them to their date. He hasn't changed, not one damn bit in the past month since he met Nari. I can t believe you talked me into this Sage Date. She grumbled under her breath, and then her face softened when she saw them approach the vehicle.

Sage opened the door for Nari as he followed closely behind. Savoring the sensation of a light sweet floral scent of her perfume, he drew her closer to him. He reached to her chin and slowly brought her face to his, their foreheads lightly touching. He felt her bring his hand from her face as their hands interlaced with one anothers.

Nari's eyes phased into emeralds as she burrowed deeper into Sage's visible eye. Her haunting voice echoed deep into his subconscious, whispering for him to kiss her. Within mere moments of her enchanted command, she felt his lips upon hers. She lost herself within the kiss, her eyes closed, and her heart quickened. Breathing started to become ragged, reluctantly she slowly pulled back and opened her eyes as she felt the jeep coming to an abrupt stop.

Mia glanced back at them from the review mirror, her agitated state swelled in her chest, enforcing the bitterness upon the twisting sensation in her heart. Tearing her eyes away from the image of the two in the back of her jeep. She felt her stomach churn when she saw them walk hand in hand towards the balloon.

Sage guided Nari towards the door of the basket, his curiosity exhibited upon his face when he witnessed her as she stopped and whispered to another man. Stepping towards her, he was about to ask what was going on, when he saw her turn around and faced him. Taking a glance towards the man she whispered to, he noticed the man left in a hurry. Shrugging it off he opened up a pathway for her to enter the balloon as he and the pilot entered.

Driving down the road, Mia didn't pay any attention to the driver who was behind her. Within a blink of an eye, she felt the jarring force of her body as it hit the steering wheel. Once, twice, her heart skipped a beat, she dared to glance back in the mirror and saw a giant truck coming in again. Her adrenalin shot through her body like raw electricity, the fear in her heart constricted making it harder to breath.

The man rammed her jeep a second time, the jealousy swelling inside of him started to cloud over his consciousness. He slammed his acceleration all the way to the floor, his empty eyes narrowed into tiny slits. The muscles in his jaw ticked. As he made his third attempt, he whipped his steering wheel hard which made Mia s jeep swerve off the road. He skidded to a stop and watched as the jeep tumbled down the cliff. Once he witnessed the jeep as it crashed onto the roof, he pulled back and drove away.

Mia s body hung from her seat belt, her fear and confusion swam in her head, taunting her with the memories of her life. Her vision became blurry, she tried to focus, but her eyes would' t comply, as darkness quickly followed.

The muffled sounds over intercoms, and the pungent aroma of antiseptics surrounded four friends who were called about Mia s car accident. They've been waiting anxiously over an hour now for any word on their friend's condition. Worry started to mount, as well as anger, where was Sage? Wouldn't he have wanted to be here with them?

Rowen frowned as he stared intently at his cell, his confusion stirred inside, causing him to question their bond with Sage. He stared hard at his phone, there was no answer on the other end. His fingers opened and shut his phone. Why wasn't Sage answering? Come on Sage, answer already. He closed his eyes with a deep and troubled frown.

Kento paced from one end to the other, his anxiety building up with every step, threatening to ignite his anger as soon as he saw the green Ronin. He opened and closed his fists, trying to hold himself back from punching holes in the hospital walls. Biting back a growl of anger, he tried to focus his thoughts to Mia. Why hasn't the one who ran her off the road been caught? What happened to their sense of justice?

Ryo's arms wrapped around his legs as he hugged them closer to his body. His anger towards himself was eating him alive, his guilt was unbearable. He stared at the kanji ball in his hand, and his thoughts of self blame came crashing back to him like a tidal wave. He clenched his fist over the kanji ball. He was the leader, he was the one who is responsible for everyone s safety. Not just Kento,s Cye's, Rowen s and Sage s, but Mia s safety as well. She was as much part of their team, no their family as the rest of them. He should have went with her to drop them off, he could have prevented this from happening.

Cye looked around at his friends with concerned eyes, his distress engulfed him, raging like a tropical storm. His eyes went wide from when he saw who walked through the door, and then a slight frown when he saw her walk in behind him. He quickly took to his feet. He brought her? Why would he do something like that for? They all knew Nari was not at all kind to Mia. So then, what was the reason?

Sage walked closer to his friends, concern was visible in his violet eye, his confusion was shown clearly upon his face. He studied each of them as they looked back at him, he motioned Nari to sit over by the couch. He braced himself mentally. Within moments he felt Kento take him by his collar and rammed him up against the wall.

Kento ignored the cries coming from the others, his anger burning in his eyes, threatening to take over his subconscious. He stared hard at his comrade in arms, and his eyes narrowed into slits. He shoved him harder into the wall. "Where were you man? How could you let this happen? Couldn't you sense something was wrong?"

Sage's expression went back to his usual calm demeanor, while his confusion still stirred in his heart. He stared back at the orange Ronin, and winced in pain. His hands went up to Kento s. He was just as confused as the rest of them. Why couldn't he feel something was wrong? Was there something possibly blocking him from doing so, if that was the case, then what was the reason? He was just as protective of Mia as the rest of them, so why couldn't he have saved her? "You re right Kento, I was there. I should have been able to stop the accident. It s my fault she s here."

Kento's grip went slack, his satisfaction of Sage s admittance calmed his anger, and he let him go as he walked away. He retraced his steps to the other side of the waiting room. His eyes scanned the halls. The waiting seemed endless to him, not knowing the progress of the surgery, Mia s current condition, it tore him up inside, he d even feel this way if it was one of the others in there instead of her. He glanced back at Nari, there was just something about her, he just couldn't put his finger on it, and this unsettling feeling washed over him like a tidal wave.

Nari raced over to Sage's side, her concern animated from her eyes, appearing to reveal her distress. She looked up and stared hard across the way towards the orange Ronin, and her eyes flared. She clenched her fists. He had no call to attack the man she loves, not any reason, You ll pay for that, I swear it. Nari thought to herself, wanting to send Kento clear across the room. She held herself in check. Now would not have been the time to expose herself to who she really was, if she did, then she would no longer have Sage to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Sage regained his composure, his confusion rippled in his head, smearing the fine line between logic and emotion. He felt a familiar sensation, and he glanced around as he saw the hall which lead to the back area of the hospital. He walked past his friends and out the door. There were only a few other times he felt this same awareness it was when the Ancient paid him a visit in his dreams. Why are you here Ancient? What are you trying to tell me? Sage glanced around, looking for where he felt him. He walked over to a patch of trees and waited for the Ancient to reveal himself.

The Ancient appeared before him, his confusion evident on his face, expressing to the green Ronin his intentions. He stared down deep into Sage s eye, and as he bore deeper and saw what he suspected. He reached out and touched Sage s head. Closing his eyes he sensed a power that has been clouding the green Ronin s judgment and started to push through. Sage of Halo, I can sense a power that has over taken your mind. It is time for you to see the truth. The Ancient drew back his hand, waiting for him to come to his senses. He continued to wait. He sensed the other presence was nearby but gave no indication of acknowledgment.

Sage frowned deeply, his confusion swimming around in his head, showing him what the Ancient found. He watched even closer to what he is now being shown, and his frown deepened. His hands tightened. These visions, how and why have they been blocked from him? Who could have the power to be able to hide from him and the spirit of his armor of Halo? This can t be real. Sage staggered back, wanting desperately not to believe what the Ancient is showing him. But he knew this was the truth. His mind started to become clear, the hold that Nari had on him started to weaken.

Nari's hands closed into tight fists, her anger amplified from her heart, threatening to lash out. She glowered at the Ancient who stood between her as well as the one she desired, and her eyes narrowed. Her eyes phased to emeralds. He was not going to undo all of the hard work she has done in order to keep her intended. I will not allow you to take him from me! Nari s power increased, wanting to blast the Ancient away, but she knew he was nothing more than a spirit. Her mind whirled. She had to find another way to reclaim what is and always rightfully will be hers.

The Ancient turned around and looked directly at Nari, his compassion shown through his eyes, seeing the tormented soul inside. He focused deeper into the spirit standing across from him, and his eyes became soft. His heart went out to her. He saw the reason of why she acted out the way she did. "I can see your soul has been tossed through the ramparts from decade to decade. But it still gives you no right to possess this poor girl as well as to control the man who you believed to be your past love who scorned you." The Ancient studied her, knowing his words rung true in her heart of hearts. He waited to see what she would do next. He understood this was not the way for her to regain the peace she desperately wanted to obtain, but there was no other way he had to call the other Ronins.

The Ancient closed his eyes and connected to them mentally, Ronin Warriors, 'I call upon you to reach into your souls and call forth upon the spirits of your armors. I need your help in order to cast out the spirit that is possessing Nari in order to set her and the spirit free. Joining your spirits is the only way, you must do this now or the ones you cherish in this world will soon perish forever, and the cycle will start again.'

Nari hissed under her breath, her rage boiled within her bloodstream, threatening to invoke her rage to a higher level. She started chanting under her breath, and then stopped. She took a few steps back. Of all the people, why did it have to be him? It can t be! He s been dead for centuries. "Tobias..." Nari gasped as she saw him approach her. The spirit of Tobias looked exactly like Sage.

Tobias strolled towards her, his sympathy for her stirred his heart, crying out for her to let go. He stood within arms reach of her, and gazed deep into her eyes. He reached out and gently touched the side of her face. His heart still yearned for her, but he could still see the rage she held onto from that fated day. "Nari, I have loved you ever since we met, and I will always love you. Why can t you believe? Tobias s eyes locked onto Nari's."

Nari scowled, "You say you love me now just like you said it then! You are nothing more than a liar! I saw you in the market with the shop girl! How can I believe you love me when you gave your heart to her?"

Tobias tightened his grip, his hurt in his eyes was clear, telling of the anguish he carried with him. He refused to let go of her, he had to make her see the truth. He leaned closer to her. He had to make her understand, to believe his love was true. "I told you then, and I tell you now, she meant nothing to me! I pledged my love to you for eternity, but what do I get in return? I find out you killed me! And for what, to carry my grief alone for all eternity!" Tobias let go and stepped back as he lowered his eyes to the ground.

Nari reached out for him, her guilt built up in her heart, enforcing the excruciating pain she carried as well. She scrambled to him, and grabbed his hand. She squeezed it tight. "Tobias, please wait. I was hasty to believe what I saw. I should have known you did truly love me then as you do now. I realize I was wrong in taking your life. My jealousy drove me to the brink of insanity. Is there ever a way for you to forgive me?" Nari searched for his eyes, wanting to confirm any hint of forgiveness. She started to pull away, but then within that moment, she felt him wrapping his arms around her, and at the same time his kiss.

A bright light lifted the two spirits, its warmth radiating around them, taking them towards the light where they d finally be together forever. The light faded, the Ancient vanished, and all was left were the five Ronins standing together in the back area of the hospital. They looked at each other. Stunned and amazed of what they just witnessed made them realize their bonds they formed, not only with one another, but with other people, are much stronger now than they ever been.

Shortly after, a doctor ran outside and found them. The doctor's breathing labored, his anxiety tightened in his chest, raising his sense of urgency. He looked around at the five of them, and his eyes said more than what he was able to with words. His eyes grew apathetic. Telling people how patients were barely hanging on always was the worst feeling in the world. It was never easy to force the words, but they need the right to know her condition. "Mia has just been wheeled into ICU. We did all we could. To be honest, we almost lost her a few times. But she refuses to quit. So at the moment, she is in very critical condition." The doctor turned around and started to go back inside, and then he stopped.

Sage looked over towards him, his concern twisted his heat, tearing it into shards. He walked up to the doctor, and placed his hand upon his shoulder. He squeezed tight. A deep desire stirred inside of him, and he needed to see her. "I want to see Mia." Sage had conviction in his voice, and nothing was going to stop him from seeing her.

The doctor stayed with the others, watching along with them as Sage walked inside. All they could do now was hope and pray to whatever deity was listening for Mia to come back to them.


	4. Chapter 4

Sage's stomach twisted in knots, his anxiety twisted inside of him like a knife, stabbing further and further into his heart. He stopped just short of Mia s door, his hands shook, and his vision became blurry. He closed his eyes and collected himself. It creaked open as he walked through the door. He walked closer to Mia s bedside, the sound of a beep then silence, again another beep and more silence, it continued in this pattern. "Mia, I never realized how much I love you. You are everything to me, I'm just sorry that this had to happen in order for me to see the truth. Don't leave me, not now. Please Mia." Sage took her hand in his, and squeezed it as he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

Mia s eyes barely opened, the relief she felt washed over her body, awaking her senses as she felt a tear from Sage splashing upon her cheek. She opened her eyes a little more, and she gave a small smile. She gripped his hand tighter. She saw he came for her, he was with her now, and she heard him confess his heart. "Sage, I love you too." Mia s voice was quiet, but firm enough for him to hear.

Sage opened his eyes, his relief filling every ounce of his being, erasing his doubts and fears. His tears brimmed in his visible eye, but he held them back. He reached out towards her face. This whole event opened his eyes to the one person who meant the world to him, and now no one will ever take her way ever again. "Mia, all the pain you felt, you didn't deserve it. The torment you shouldered when you saw Nari and I together, it shouldn't have happened. But all of that is over now, she's gone forever. Mia Koji, I know this isn t the proper way to do things, but I have to know, will you marry me?" Sage watched her in anticipation.

Mia s eyes went wide, the shock took her by surprise, throwing the monitors into the next level. Her breathing quickened, and her heart jumped. She squeezed his hand tighter. After all this time, she dreamed of this moment, he actually proposed. Her breathing and heart rate started to calm back to normal. "Yes, Sage Date, I will marry you." Mia smiled in a tired manner, believing her dream finally came true.

As time went on, Mia was sent home with the others. Everyone went about their usual business. Then a year later, a wedding between Mia Koji and Sage Date commenced. The story of their love proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that no one has to be alone. The fight for love was worth it in the end.

"We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another." Luciano de Crescenzo


End file.
